Designer Kitchen

Careful restoration and clever design results in a pleasing mix of old and new in this understated Georgian kitchen

This kitchen could have been a very different space. As a large, high-ceilinged room in a grand period townhouse in Cheshire, you might expect a refurbishment to bring wall-to-wall bling and flashy finishes. However, the beauty of this space is its understated style. Some might have stripped the room of its original quirks, squaring the walls and smoothing out the floors, but this family wanted to celebrate the history of their Georgian home and so carefully peeled back the layers to reveal the original beauty of the building. Working with designer Helen Robson at deVOL, the owners chose a Real Shaker kitchen painted in Lead to contrast with the white walls and restored shutters. This design was kept simple, not over-crowding the space with furniture. The fireplace with its original mantle houses the range and the traditional butler-style sink sits under the window, leaving the island free for preparation and seating. The warmth of the rustic oak on the island now contrasts with the sleek composite stone around the hob and sink and the fridge-freezer is barely noticeable, hidden away in the corner behind an integrated door. The owners have kept clutter to a minimum and chosen beautiful but useful objects to display in the well-loved pantry, a characterful piece of the kitchen’s history that sums up the imperfect perfection of this room. It’s a design that flows perfectly.